Lupin, Black, and Potter: Book Four
by Pinkfalcon1002002
Summary: It is now the Fantastic Five's fourth year. Evangeline and Harry are ready to go back to Hogwarts. What happens when a The Triwizard tournament is being hosted at Hogwarts. Why is Teddy and George acting so weird. Why am i asking all these questions? Fourth book of the Lupin, Black, and Potter series. Read the others before this one. Rated t to be safe, but it is more of a K


**AN: I know it was an extremely long wait…I just became a senior in high school, and I have been extremely busy with all my honors classes and with band, doing homework, and having a social life (sort of), I barely have time to breathe or sleep, let alone update, but since it is the holidays, I decided to update.**** To make up for the long wait I put in an extremely long chapter for you guys. Luv ya~pinkfalcon ^_^**

**P.S: ****I am aware of the horrible grammar in Evangeline's letter it was intentional for comedy purposes.**

**Lupin, Black, and Potter and the Goblet of Fire**

Chapter one

Evangeline Black and Harry Potter were not having any fun this summer. Evangeline, who was now fourteen (her birthday was in June), was especially dissatisfied with her summer. Although she had been writing to her friends and had Harry, she felt completely alone. Teddy had invited her, along with Hermione, to a couple of sleepovers, but since the Dursley's don't allow her to have any morsel of happiness, she wasn't allowed to go. This didn't stop her though, and she tried to sneak out, it would have worked, if one of the neighbors didn't see her. The Cow, Vernon, tried to get rid of her mail, but she threatened to tell her Dad about how she was being treated.

That was another reason she wasn't having a good summer. She knew that her dad wouldn't be able to write to her a lot, but she'd wish he'd write her more than he is now. She didn't know where he is at exactly, in case the letters were intercepted. The last letter she had gotten was two and a half weeks ago.

Thirdly, Petunia started to become unbearable to her, and Evangeline just wanted to strangle her. According to Harry, however, that is wrong and frowned upon in most societies. Petunia decided that Evangeline, who was now fourteen, was becoming a young lady, and should start acting as such. First it started off with her wardrobes, which were now all dresses. She wouldn't have minded if it weren't for the fact that each dress made her look like a puff ball or a cotton ball, and pink. She then tried ripping them, making them unsuitable to wear. Of course Petunia would come back with more. Apparently she wore them when she was fourteen. Then it progressed into Petunia making her take classes that are supposed to teach girls manners. Evangeline was kicked out after the first class for calling the teacher a snooty wanker, and then proceeded to throw food at the other girls in the room. Needless to say Petunia was furious.

However, the biggest reason of all was Harry's nightmares. It started midway through the summer. At first it wasn't too bad, just a little fright, but it started recurring to where he had a new nightmare almost every week. Today wasn't any different.

Harry lay flat on his back, breathing hard as though he had been running. Evangeline had woken up, and was sitting next to him. Her face held nothing but concern. He had awoken from a vivid dream with his hands pressed over his face. The old scar on his forehead, which was shaped like a bolt of lightning, was burning beneath his fingers as though someone had just pressed a white-hot wire to his skin.

He sat up, one hand still on his scar, the other hand reaching out in the darkness for his glasses, which were on the bedside table. Evangeline grabbed it for him. He put them on and his bedroom came into clearer focus, lit by a faint, misty orange light that was filtering through the curtains from the street lamp outside the window.

Evangeline squeezed his hand, and started to play with their fingers. She had been awakened by his loud screaming, and she had tried everything to wake him up. She would have tried throwing water on him, but she wasn't allowed to leave the room, as she is punished for pranking Dudley, and for getting kicked out of that class.

Harry ran his fingers over the scar again. It was still painful. He turned on the lamp and removed his hand from hers. He scrambled out of bed, crossed the room, opened his wardrobe, and peered into the mirror on the inside of the door. A skinny boy of fourteen looked back at him, his bright green eyes puzzled under his untidy black hair. He examined the lightning-bolt scar of his reflection more closely. It looked normal, but it was still stinging.

"Harry, are you okay?" Evangeline asked, confused about his weird behavior.

He continued to look at himself in the mirror, deep in thought.

"Harry, do you want to talk about it?" Evangeline asked still worried about him.

Harry went restlessly back to the bed and sat down on it, running a finger over his scar again. It wasn't the pain that bothered him; Harry was no stranger to pain and injury. He had lost all the bones from his right arm once and had them painfully re-grown in a night. The same arm had been pierced by a venomous foot-long fang not long afterward. Only last year Harry had fallen fifty feet from an airborne broomstick. He was only saved, because Evangeline had caught him before he hit the ground. He was used to bizarre accidents and injuries; they were unavoidable if you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had a knack for attracting a lot of trouble.

No, the thing that was bothering Harry was the last time his scar had hurt him, it had been because Voldemort had been close by… But Voldemort couldn't be here, now… The idea of Voldemort lurking in Privet Drive was absurd, impossible…

"It's hurting again isn't it?" Evangeline continued trying to get Harry to talk to her.

He just nodded, not saying anything else.

"Maybe Dumbledore would know what to do; he might be able to help." Evangeline suggested.

He scoffed and turned to look at her.

"Yeah how would that go?" He asked sarcastically, "Dear Professor Dumbledore, Sorry to bother you, but my scar hurt this morning. Yours sincerely, Harry potter." He said rolling his eyes.

Evangeline groaned. She loved him and all, he was like her brother. Nevertheless, sometimes she wanted to strangle him. He tended to get overdramatic sometimes. She had no idea how to help him when he was like this. He shot down every suggestion she offered.

"You could tell Dad, we haven't written to him in a while." Evangeline suggested.

"I don't want to bother him." Harry said with a wave of his hand. "He has other issues to worry about than my scar hurting."

"But it wouldn't be a bother," She argued, "You know Dad, would rather you tell him, instead of keeping it a secret."

Harry shook his head and got a change of clothes and left the room they shared to go change.

Evangeline sighed and rubbed her temples. She was worried about her best friend. His nightmares seem to get worse every night. At first he would tell her about what happened in the dream. Now to get him to talk about it was like pulling teeth. She had no idea how to help him and she was frantic that the nightmares would get worse. Evangeline didn't care about Harry's statement; she was going to tell Sirius. If anything Sirius would be angrier if he didn't hear about it.

She pulled out a spare piece of parchment from her Hogwarts bag. She grabbed her ink bottle and quill, and began to write.

Dear Dad,

So long time no letter. Yes I am trying to make you feel guilty. I not saying you need to write every day, but dude. Write.

Did Buckbeak find himself a lady friend? Wait… is Buckbeak a dude or…. Could you find that out for me? I really want to know that now. Is Buckbeak a male or female… the world may never know.

Harry and I are okay; mainly because the Dursleys are terrified you might turn up and turn them all into bats if we ask you to. Which, by the way, I want that for Christmas. Make it happen.

Petunia has now made wear dresses instead of my usual awesome attire. I now look like a pink cotton candy monster swallowed me whole. She also tried to get me to take a class that was supposed to teach me manners… I got kicked out on the first day. Apparently calling the teacher a snooty wanker, that looked like she had smelled something funny, is not very lady-like. Who knew?

Also, Lupin is alright, although not alright enough to respond to my letters *coughcoughjerkcoughcough*.

Speaking of Lupin's, Teddy and George need to cut the crap and jump on the relationship train. I mean siriusly her last few letter have him incorporated somehow. "_He's so cute._" "_He's so sweet._" And my personal favorite: "_His hair is so ginger_." Okay so maybe she never said any of that stuff, but she was definitely thinking it. I'm going to have to hook them up, because if I don't, I'm gonna die of old age before they get together on their own.

So I have a Sirius question for you: Do you know the Muffin man? Just kidding, but siriusly, I need to tell you something concerning a certain blemish upon the forehead of a certain fourteen year old wizard, whom happens to be your godson. So in other words, there be happenings going on with Harry's scar.

Harry's been having nightmares, usually I wouldn't worry about them, but the last couple of times his scar began to hurt when he woke up from them. The last time his scar hurt it was because Voldeshorts was at Hogwarts. I don't think he would be around us right now; I'd think he would have shown his noseless face by now. If you can send anything back that could explain or help with this it would be really appreciated.

From your extremely awesome, beautiful, intelligent, and let's not forget modest daughter, Evangeline

Evangeline picked up the letter and tied it to Shadow's leg. She gave Shadow a quick treat and she sent him off with the letter.

Evangeline sighed and opened her locket. Inside was a blonde woman with blue eyes, on her face was a huge smile on her face. On the side of her was a man, who was a good five inches taller than the woman. He also was smiling and was holding the blonde woman by her waist. The man kissed the woman's cheek. Evangeline smiled at the picture of her parents, before closing it. She really hated to go behind Harry's back, but it was for his own good. He rarely has a night were he has a peaceful sleep. She was going to tell Remus, but he has too many problems; it was, after all, a week before the full moon. Evangeline started to keep track of the full moon since school ended. She would send Teddy some Muggle chocolate, for him. It wasn't much, but until she could successfully make Wolfsbane potion, she couldn't fully help him.

She grabbed a brush and got rid of all the tangles in her long hair. It now reached her mid back and was the same dark black color as her father's. Evangeline had shot up over the summer. She was now five foot nine. Her face, she noticed, started to look even more like her mother. Her eyes were a bright grey that always held a sparkle of mischief. She was still a twig though, but that wasn't her fault. The Dursleys didn't exactly starve her, but she didn't eat as much as she should. She was okay with that, as soon as she would get to Hogwarts, she'll be able to eat as much as her heart desired. She put her hair in a messy bun, and left to go eat breakfast.

By the time Evangeline arrived in the kitchen, the three Dursleys were already seated around the table. None of them looked up as she entered or sat down. Harry sent her a smile, but went back to looking at the table. Vernon's large red face was hidden behind the morning's Daily Mail, and Petunia was cutting a two grapefruits into quarters, her lips pursed over her horse like teeth.

Dudley looked furious and sulky, and somehow seemed to be taking up even more space than usual. This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself.

When Petunia put two quarters of unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley's plate with a tremulous "There you are, Diddy darling," Dudley glowered at her. His life had taken a most unpleasant turn since he had come home for the summer with his end-of-year report.

Vernon and Petunia had managed to find excuses for his bad marks as usual: Aunt Petunia always insisted that Dudley was a very gifted boy whose teachers didn't understand him, while Vernon maintained that "he didn't want some snotty little nancy boy for a son anyway." They also skated over the accusations of bullying in the report - "He's a boisterous little boy, but he wouldn't hurt a fly!" Petunia had said tearfully.

However, at the bottom of the report there were a few well-chosen comments from the school nurse that not even Vernon and Petunia could explain away. No matter how much Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy fat, and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn't stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore.

The school nurse had seen what Petunia's eyes - so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls, and in observing the comings and goings of the neighbors - simply refused to see: that far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.

So the regime began, the school nurse sent a paper suggesting a diet plan for Dudley. The fridge had been emptied and replaced with fruits and vegetables. To make Dudley feel better about it all, Petunia had insisted that the whole family follow the diet too. She now passed one grapefruit quarter to Harry and one to Evangeline. They noticed that it was a lot smaller than the quarters Dudley had gotten. . Petunia seemed to think that the best way to keep up Dudley's morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry and Evangeline.

However, they didn't know about the secret stash that was hidden underneath the floorboard in their room. When Evangeline heard that she would only be eating rabbit food the whole summer she set out a plan. She sent Shadow with a plea of help to her friends, and they had risen to the occasion magnificently. Shadow had returned from Hermione's house with a large box stuffed full of sugar-free snacks. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had obliged with a sack full of his own homemade rock cakes. Mrs. Weasley, however, had sent the family owl, Errol, with an enormous fruitcake and assorted meat pies. Poor Errol, who was elderly and feeble, had needed a full five days to recover from the journey. Teddy had sent a box filled with chocolate frogs. Then on both of their birthdays (which the Dursleys had completely ignored) they had received five superb birthday cakes each, one each from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Sirius, and Teddy and Lupin. There were four of them left, and so, looking forward to a real breakfast when they got back upstairs, they didn't complain.

Vernon laid aside his paper with a deep sniff of disapproval and looked down at his two grapefruit quarters.

"Is this it?" he said grumpily to Petunia.

Petunia gave him a severe look, and then nodded pointedly at Dudley, who had already finished his own grapefruit quarters and was eyeing Harry and Evangeline's with a very sour look in his piggy little eyes.

Vernon gave a great sigh, which ruffled his large, bushy mustache, and picked up his spoon. The doorbell rang. Vernon heaved himself out of his chair and set off down the hall. Quick as a flash, while his mother was occupied with the kettle, Dudley stole the rest of Vernon's grapefruit quarters. He was about to steal Evangeline's when she threatened him that she would shove a fork into his hand if he continued. Dudley gulped and just finished his father's grapefruit without words.

They heard talking at the door, someone laughing, and Vernon answering curtly. Then the front door closed, and the sound of ripping paper came from the hall. Petunia set the teapot down on the table and looked curiously around to see where Vernon had got to. She didn't have to wait long to find out; after about a minute, he was back. He looked livid.

"Boy, Girl." he barked at Harry and Evangeline. "In the living room. Now."

Bewildered, wondering what on earth he was supposed to have done this time, Harry got up. Evangeline made no move to get up and picked up her fork to eat her pathetic slice of grapefruit. However, before she could take a bite, Vernon grabbed her by her forearm and dragged her out of the kitchen and into the next room, Harry following close behind. Evangeline looked behind her to see Dudley stealing both Harry's and her own quarter of grapefruit. Vernon closed the door to the living room so no one would hear.

"So," he said, marching over to the fireplace and turning to face Harry and Evangeline as though he were about to pronounce them under arrest.

"So?" Evangeline was about to reply when Harry covered her mouth. As much as he wanted to see Evangeline and Vernon fighting, he didn't want to test his temper, especially in the morning.

"This just arrived," said Vernon. He brandished a piece of purple writing paper at Harry and Evangeline. "A letter. About you two."

Vernon glared at Harry and Evangeline, then looked down at the letter and began to read aloud:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dursley,

We have never been introduced, but I am sure you have heard a great deal from Harry and Evangeline about my son Ron.

As they might have told you, the final of the Quidditch World Cup takes place this Monday night, and my husband, Arthur, has just managed to get prime tickets through his connections at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

I do hope you will allow us to take Harry and Evangeline to the match, as this really is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity; Britain hasn't hosted the cup for thirty years, and tickets are extremely hard to come by. We would of course be glad to have both Harry and Evangeline stay for the remainder of the summer holidays, and to see them safely onto the train back to school.

It would be best for either Harry or Evangeline to send us your answer as quickly as possible in the normal way, because the Muggle postman has never delivered to our house, and I am not sure he even knows where it is.

Hoping to see Harry and Evangeline soon,

Yours sincerely,

Molly Weasley

P.S. I do hope we've put enough stamps on.

Vernon finished reading, put his hand back into his breast pocket, and drew out something else.

"Look at this," he growled.

He held up the envelope in which Mrs. Weasley's letter had come, and Harry had to fight down a laugh. Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs. Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys' address in tiny writing. Evangeline busted out laughing and started to hold her sides.

"She did put enough stamps on, then," said Harry, trying to sound as though Mrs. Weasley's was a mistake anyone could make. His uncle's eyes flashed. This caused Evangeline's laughter to increase.

"The postman noticed," Vernon said through gritted teeth. "Very interested to know where this letter came from, he was. That's why he rang the doorbell. Seemed to think it was funny."

Vernon was still glaring at Harry and Evangeline; Harry tried to keep his expression neutral. If he didn't do or say anything stupid, he might just be in for the treat of a lifetime. Evangeline finally calmed down and stood up straight realizing she needed his approval for the opportunity of a lifetime. They waited for Vernon to say something, but he merely continued to glare. Harry decided to break the silence.

"So - can we go then?" he asked.

A slight spasm crossed Vernon's large purple face. The mustache bristled. To give him some thinking time, it seemed, he looked down at Mrs. Weasley's letter again.

"Who is this woman?" he said, staring at the signature with distaste.

"You've seen her," said Harry. "She's our friend Ron's mother; she was meeting him off the Hog - off the school train at the end of second year."

He had almost said "Hogwarts Express," and that was a sure way to get his uncle's temper up. Nobody ever mentioned the name of Harry's school aloud in the Dursley household.

Uncle Vernon screwed up his enormous face as though trying to remember something very unpleasant.

"Dumpy sort of woman?" he growled finally. "Load of children with red hair?"

"Hey!" Evangeline yelled, causing Vernon to look at her. Harry shook his head pleading her to stop talking. She ignored this. "She had seven kids; of course she would be a little big. However, I find it ironic that you are calling her dumpy, while your whale of a son takes up half a table himself!"

Vernon's face turned a dark purple. Harry sighed thinking his chances of going to the Quidditch World cup were over.

"Girl! I have had enough of this insolence in my own house! I have clothed and fed you, and have let you have a room to sleep. And if this is how you are going to repay me, you can forget about going to this stupid Quidditch nonsense!" He yelled, his face turning an even brighter color.

"Yes, but only because you were forced to take us in! You were forced to feed us. For Merlin's sake we would still be living in a cupboard underneath the stairs if it weren't for the fact that we are wizards!" Evangeline yelled fed up about the way they were being treated.

Harry slapped his forehead. He knew they wouldn't be able to go now that she had mentioned their 'abnormalities'.

"YOU AREN'T GOING AND THAT'S FINAL!" Vernon yelled, his vain in his neck poking out.

Evangeline slowly walked up to him and held the deadliest glare Harry had ever seen.

"Watch me." She said in a serious tone, and ran up stairs to her room. A loud slam could be heard.

Harry looked at Vernon who turned back to the letter; he didn't look too worried about her threat.

"Quidditch," he muttered under his breath. "Quidditch - what is this rubbish?" Harry felt a second stab of annoyance.

"It's a sport," he said shortly. "Played on broom—"

"All right, all right!" said Vernon loudly. Harry saw, with some satisfaction, that his uncle looked vaguely panicky. Apparently his nerves couldn't stand the sound of the word "broomsticks" in his living room. He took refuge in perusing the letter again. Harry saw his lips form the words "send us your answer ... in the normal way." He scowled.

"What does she mean, 'the normal way'?" he spat.

"Normal for us," said Harry, and before his uncle could stop him, he added, "you know, owl post. That's what's normal for wizards."

Vernon looked as outraged as if Harry had just uttered a disgusting swearword. Shaking with anger, he shot a nervous look through the window, as though expecting to see some of the neighbors with their ears pressed against the glass.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to mention that unnaturalness under my roof?" he hissed, his face now a rich plum color. "You stand there, in the clothes Petunia and I have put on your ungrateful back -"

"Only after Dudley finished with them," said Harry coldly, and indeed, he was dressed in a sweatshirt so large for him that he had had to roll back the sleeves five times so as to be able to use his hands, and which fell past the knees of his extremely baggy jeans.

"I will not be spoken to like that!" said Uncle Vernon, trembling with rage.

However, Harry wasn't going to stand for this. Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys' stupid rules. He wasn't following Dudley's diet, and he wasn't going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup, not if he could help it. Harry took a deep, steadying breath and then said, "Okay, Evangeline and I can't see the World Cup. Can I go now, then? Only I've got a letter to Sirius I want to finish. You know - my godfather."

He had done it; he had said the magic words. Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon's face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.

"You're - you're writing to him, are you?" said Uncle Vernon, in a would-be calm voice - but Harry had seen the pupils of his tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.

"Well - yeah," said Harry, casually. "It's been a while since he heard from me and Evangeline, and, you know, if he doesn't he might start thinking something's wrong."

He stopped there to enjoy the effect of these words. He could almost see the cogs working under Uncle Vernon's thick, dark, neatly parted hair. If he tried to stop Harry writing to Sirius, Sirius would think they were being mistreated. If he told Harry that they couldn't go to the Quidditch World Cup, Harry would write and tell Sirius, who would know Harry and Evangeline were being mistreated. There was only one thing for Uncle Vernon to do. Harry could see the conclusion forming in his uncle's mind as though the great mustached face were transparent. Harry tried not to smile, to keep his own face as blank as possible. And then -

"Well, all right then. You and the girl can go to this ruddy ... this stupid ... this World Cup thing. You write and tell these - these Weasleys they're to pick you two up, mind. I haven't got time to go dropping you off all over the country. And you two can spend the rest of the summer there. And you can tell your - your godfather ... tell him ... tell him you're going."

"Okay then," said Harry brightly.

He turned and walked toward the living room door, fighting the urge to jump into the air and whoop. He was going ... he was going to the Weasleys'; he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup!

Outside in the hall he nearly ran into Dudley, who had been lurking behind the door, clearly hoping to overhear Harry being told off. He looked shocked to see the broad grin on Harry's face.

"That was an excellent breakfast, wasn't it?" said Harry. "I feel really full, don't you?"

Laughing at the astonished look on Dudley's face, Harry took the stairs three at a time, and hurled himself back into his bedroom.

Harry walked into his room to see Evangeline packing her school clothes and Hogwarts stuff into her trunk. She grabbed her broom and potions book and put it in her trunk before closing it. Harry cleared his voice, wanting to know what she was doing.

Evangeline turned around ready to snap at the person, thinking it was Vernon. She smiled when she saw Harry instead.

"So I'm going to pack our stuff. I still have a few galleons left over from last year. All we have to do is call the Knight bus again and get a ride to the Weasley's house. We'd sneak after dark, but this time we will wear the cloak so the neighbors won't see us." She finished with a smirk on her face.

Harry laughed at her.

"Well that plan won't be necessary. Thanks to me we are allowed to go." He told her.

Harry thought she would be happy at that news but she frowned.

"Man, I was looking forward to sneaking out; it was going to be an adventure, something that I've been missing since we've gotten home from Hogwarts." She sighed.

Before he could say anything, something small, gray, and appeared to be a feathery tennis ball collided with his head.

"OUCH!" said Harry he massaged the spot furiously, looking up to see what had hit him, and saw a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework. Harry then realized that the owl had dropped a letter at his feet. Harry bent down, recognized Ron's handwriting, and then tore open the envelope. Inside was a hastily scribbled note.

_Harry and Evangeline,_

_DAD GOT THE TICKETS - Ireland versus Bulgaria, Monday night. Mum's writing to the Muggles to ask you to stay. They might already have the letter; I don't know how fast Muggle post is. Thought I'd send this with Pig anyway._

_We're coming for you two whether the Muggles like it or not,__you can't miss the World Cup, only Mum and Dad reckon its better if we pretend to ask their permission first. If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday. If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday anyway._

_Hermione and Teddy are arriving this afternoon. Teddy's parents are coming as well, her mother got them tickets since she works at the ministry too. Percy's started work the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Don't mention anything about Abroad while you're here unless you want the pants bored off you._

_See you soon – Ron_

_P.S Ginny said that Evangeline could borrow some of her clothes while you are at our house. Is it really as bad as you described?_

"Calm down!" Harry said as the small owl flew low over his head, twittering madly with what Harry could only assume was pride at having delivered the letter to the right person. "Come here, I need you to take my answer back!"

The owl fluttered down on top of Hedwig's cage. Hedwig looked coldly up at it, as though daring it to try and come any closer. Shadow was asleep despite the loud sounds the small owl was currently making.

Harry seized his eagle-feather quill once more, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and wrote:

Ron, it's all okay, the Muggles say we can come. See you five o'clock tomorrow. Can't wait. Harry

He folded this note up very small, and with immense difficulty, tied it to the tiny owl's leg as it hopped on the spot with excitement. The moment the note was secure, the owl was off again; it zoomed out of the window and out of sight.

Evangeline sat next to Harry. Harry then crawled under his bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard, and pulled out a large chunk of birthday cake. He gave a piece to Evangeline, before he began to eat it. He sat there on the floor, savoring the happiness that was flooding through him. He had cake, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit; it was a bright summer's day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow, his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything - even Lord Voldemort. Evangeline grabbed a large piece of the icing of the cake and wiped it all over the length of the dress. She smirked, the dress was ruined. One less problem to deal with.

By twelve o'clock the next day, Harry's school trunk was packed with his school things and all his most prized possessions - the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father, the broomstick he had gotten from Sirius, the enchanted map of Hogwarts he had been given by Fred and George Weasley last year. Evangeline had hers packed, including the new potion's book Remus had sent her for her birthday, her nimbus two thousand, her potion's set, and her chocolate frogs.

He had emptied his hiding place under the loose floorboard of all food, double-checked every nook and cranny of his bedroom for forgotten spell books or quills, and taken down the chart on the wall counting down the days to September the first, on which he liked to cross off the days remaining until his return to Hogwarts.

The atmosphere inside number four, Privet Drive was extremely tense. The imminent arrival at their house of an assortment of wizards was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable. Uncle Vernon had looked downright alarmed when Harry informed him that the Weasleys would be arriving at five o'clock the very next day.

"I hope you told them to dress properly, these people," he snarled at once. "I've seen the sort of stuff your lot wears. They'd better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that's all."

Harry felt a slight sense of foreboding. He had rarely seen Mr. or Mrs. Weasley wearing anything that the Dursleys would call "normal." Their children might wear Muggle clothing during the holidays, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley usually wore long robes in varying states of shabbiness.

Harry wasn't bothered about what the neighbors would think, but he was anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards.

Evangeline rolled her eyes. They were worried about their state of dress. Anything they wear would be better than anything Petunia put her in.

Uncle Vernon had put on his best suit. To some people, this might have looked like a gesture of welcome, but Harry knew it was because Uncle Vernon wanted to look impressive and intimidating. Dudley, on the other hand, looked somehow diminished. This was not because the diet was at last taking effect, but due to fright. Dudley had emerged from his last encounter with a fully grown wizard with a curly pig's tail poking out of the seat of his trousers, and Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London. It wasn't altogether surprising; therefore, that Dudley kept running his hand nervously over his backside, and walking sideways from room to room, so as not to present the same target to the enemy.

Lunch was an almost silent meal. Dudley didn't even protest at the food (cottage cheese and grated celery). Aunt Petunia wasn't, eating anything at all. Her arms were folded, her lips were pursed, and she seemed to be chewing her tongue, as though biting back the furious diatribe she longed to throw at Harry and Evangeline

"They'll be driving, of course?" Uncle Vernon barked across the table.

"Err," said Harry.

They hadn't thought of that. How were the Weasleys going to pick them up? They didn't have a car anymore; the old Ford Anglia they had once owned was currently running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

But Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry of Magic car last year; possibly he would do the same today?

"I think so," said Harry.

Uncle Vernon snorted into his mustache. Normally, Uncle Vernon would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove; he tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were. But Harry doubted whether Uncle Vernon would have taken to Mr. Weasley even if he drove a Ferrari.

Harry and Evangeline spent most of the afternoon in their bedroom; they couldn't stand watching Aunt Petunia peer out through the net curtains every few seconds, as though there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros. Finally, at a quarter to five, Harry and Evangeline went back downstairs and into the living room.

Aunt Petunia was compulsively straightening cushions. Uncle Vernon was pretending to read the paper, but his tiny eyes were not moving, and Harry was sure he was really listening with all his might for the sound of an approaching car. Dudley was crammed into an armchair, his porky hands beneath him, clamped firmly around his bottom. Evangeline was sitting on the floor, with her legs crossed. She was smiling at Dudley with delight. She was happy to see him in such distress after he stole her grapefruit. Even if she didn't desire the food that much, you don't take her food. She turned to look at Vernon and saw a vain that popped out of his forehead. She decided to name it since that same vain was their when he was yelling at her. She declared it Henry.

Harry couldn't take the tension that was in the room; he left the living room and went and sat on the stairs in the hall, his eyes on his watch and his heart pumping fast from excitement and nerves.

However, five o'clock came and then went. Uncle Vernon, perspiring slightly in his suit, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, and then withdrew his head quickly.

"They're late!" he snarled at Harry.

"I know," said Harry. "Maybe - err - the traffic's bad, or something."

Ten past five ... then a quarter past five ... Harry was starting to feel anxious himself now. At half past, he heard Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia conversing in terse mutters in the living room.

"No consideration at all."

"We might've had an engagement."

"Maybe they think they'll get invited to dinner if they're late."

"Well, they most certainly won't be," said Uncle Vernon, and Harry heard him stand up and start pacing the living room. "They'll take the boy and go; there'll be no hanging around. That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don't set much store by punctuality. Either that or they drive some tin-pot car that's broken d- AAAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

Harry jumped up. From the other side of the living room door came the sounds of the three Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room. The next moment, Dudley was flying into the hall, looking terrified.

"What happened?" said Harry. "What's the matter?"

Before Vernon could answer he was interrupted.

"Is Dudley harmed? Does he have a pig's tail?" Evangeline questioned in delight.

They all turned to her and gave a scolding look.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Dudley screamed and ran out of the room into the kitchen, his hands covering his large bottom. He fell halfway, but continued on. Evangeline laughed at his misfortune. Harry would have scolded her, but he couldn't stop laughing as well.

A loud bang made them stop laughing. Loud noises and scrapings were coming from behind the Dursleys' fireplace, which was boarded up and held a fake fire.

"What is it?" gasped Aunt Petunia, who had backed into the wall and was staring, terrified, toward the fire. "What is it, Vernon?"

But they were left in doubt barely a second longer. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace.

"Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron-"

"Maybe Harry they hear us, Dad - maybe they'll be able to let us out-"

There was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire. "Harry? Evangeline? Can you hear us?"

The Dursleys rounded on Harry and Evangeline like a pair of angry wolverines.

"What is this?" growled Uncle Vernon. "What's going on?"

"They - they've tried to get here by Floo powder," said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. "They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace - hang on -"

He approached the fireplace and called through the boards.

"Mr. Weasley? Can you hear me?"

The hammering stopped. Somebody inside the chimney piece said, "Shh!"

"Mr. Weasley, it's Harry ... the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."

"Damn!" said Mr. Weasley's voice. "What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"

"They've got an electric fire," Harry explained.

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly. "Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that... Let's think ... ouch, Ron!"

Ron's voice now joined the others'.

"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"

"Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.

"Boys, boys. . ." said Mr. Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do... Yes ... only way. . . Stand back, Harry."

Harry retreated to the sofa. Uncle Vernon, however, moved forward.

"Wait a moment!" he bellowed at the fire. "What exactly are you going to -" BANG.

The electric fire shot across the room as the boarded-up fireplace burst outward, expelling Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings. Aunt Petunia shrieked and fell backward over the coffee table; Uncle Vernon caught her before she hit the floor, and gaped, speechless, at the Weasleys, all of whom had bright red hair, including Fred and George, who were identical to the last freckle.

"That's better," panted Mr. Weasley, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. "Ah - you must be Harry and Evangeline's guardians!"

Tall, thin, and balding, he moved toward Uncle Vernon, his hand outstretched, but Uncle Vernon backed away several paces, dragging Aunt Petunia. Words utterly failed Uncle Vernon. His best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and mustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years.

"Err - yes - sorry about that," said Mr. Weasley, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fireplace. "It's my entire fault. It just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see - just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking - but I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate."

Harry was ready to bet that the Dursleys hadn't understood a single word of this. They were still gaping at Mr. Weasley, thunderstruck. Aunt Petunia staggered upright again and hid behind Uncle Vernon.

"Fred! George!" Evangeline yelled before running at them.

She reached Fred first who hugged her very closely. George coughed and the two separated when they realized what happened. They were happier as just friends, but it does get a little awkward afterwards. She hugged George who picked her up and circled her around. She hugged Ron, who looked surprised by this.

"Hello, Harry! Evangeline!" said Mr. Weasley brightly. "Got your trunk ready?"

"It's upstairs," said Harry, grinning back.

"We'll get it," said Fred at once. Winking at Evangeline, he and George left the room. They knew where their bedroom was, having once rescued him from it in the dead of night. Harry suspected that Fred and George were hoping for a glimpse of Dudley; they had heard a lot about him from Evangeline.

"Well," said Mr. Weasley, swinging his arms slightly, while he tried to find words to break the very nasty silence. "Very - erm - very nice place you've got here."

As the usually spotless living room was now covered in dust and bits of brick, this remark didn't go down too well with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon's face purpled once more, and Aunt Petunia started chewing her tongue again. However, they seemed too scared to actually say anything.

Mr. Weasley was looking around. He loved everything to do with Muggles. Harry could see him itching to go and examine the television and the video recorder.

"They run off eckeltricity, do they?" he said knowledgeably. "Ah yes, I can see the plugs. I collect plugs," he added to Uncle Vernon. "And batteries. Got a very large collection of batteries. My wife thinks I'm mad, but there you are."

Uncle Vernon clearly thought Mr. Weasley was mad too. He moved ever so slightly to the right, screening Aunt Petunia from view, as though he thought Mr. Weasley might suddenly run at them and attack.

Dudley suddenly reappeared in the room. Harry could hear the clunk of his trunk on the stairs, and knew that the sounds had scared Dudley out of the kitchen. Dudley edged along the wall, gazing at Mr. Weasley with terrified eyes, and attempted to conceal himself behind his mother and father. Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon's bulk, while sufficient to hide bony Aunt Petunia, was nowhere near enough to conceal Dudley.

"Ah, this is your cousin, is it, Harry?" said Mr. Weasley, taking another brave stab at making conversation.

"Yep," said Harry, "that's Dudley."

He, Ron, and Evangeline exchanged glances and then quickly looked away from each other; the temptation to burst out laughing was almost overwhelming.

Dudley was still clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off. Mr. Weasley, however, seemed genuinely concerned at Dudley's peculiar behavior. Indeed, from the tone of his voice when he next spoke, Harry was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear.

"Having a good holiday, Dudley?" he said kindly.

Dudley whimpered. Harry saw his hands tighten still harder over his massive backside.

Fred came back into the room carrying Harry's school trunk. George following after with Evangeline's. They glanced around as they entered and spotted Dudley. Their faces cracked into identical evil grins.

"Ah, right," said Mr. Weasley. "Better get cracking then."

He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand. Harry saw the Dursleys draw back against the wall as one.

"Incendio!" said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him.

Flames rose at once in the fireplace, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. Mr. Weasley took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the flames, which turned emerald green and roared higher than ever.

"Off you go then, Fred," said Mr. Weasley. "Coming," said Fred. "Oh no - hang on -"

A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction - big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers.

Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying "the Burrow!" Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished.

"Right then, George," said Mr. Weasley, "you and the trunk."

Harry helped George carry the trunk forward into the flames and turn it onto its end so that he could hold it better. Then, with a second whoosh, George had cried "the Burrow!" and vanished too.

"Ron, you next," said Mr. Weasley.

"See you," said Ron brightly to the Dursleys. He grinned broadly at Harry and Evangeline, then stepped into the fire, shouted "the Burrow!" and disappeared.

Now Harry, Evangeline and Mr. Weasley alone remained. "Well . . . 'bye then," Harry said to the Dursleys.

They didn't say anything at all. Harry moved toward the fire, but just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back. He was looking at the Dursleys in amazement.

"Harry said good-bye to you," he said. "Didn't you hear him?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. "Honestly, I don't care." Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from Harry's shoulder.

"You aren't going to see your nephew till next summer," he said to Uncle Vernon in mild indignation. "Surely you're going to say good-bye?"

Uncle Vernon's face worked furiously. The idea of being taught consideration by a man who had just blasted away half his living room wall seemed to be causing him intense suffering. But Mr. Weasley's wand was still in his hand, and Uncle Vernon's tiny eyes darted to it once, before he said, very resentfully, "Good-bye, then."

"See you," said Harry, putting one foot forward into the green flames, which felt pleasantly like warm breath. Harry spoke clearly "The burrow." And he vanished out of sight.

"Evangeline. It's your turn dear." Mr. Weasley said politely.

Evangeline turned to go into the fireplace, but at that moment, however, a horrible gagging sound erupted behind her, and Aunt Petunia started to scream.

Evangeline wheeled around. Dudley was no longer standing behind his parents. He was kneeling beside the coffee table, and he was gagging and sputtering on a foot-long, purple, slimy thing that was protruding from his mouth. One bewildered second later, Evangeline realized that the foot-long thing was Dudley's tongue - and that a brightly colored toffee wrapper lay on the floor before him.

Aunt Petunia hurled herself onto the ground beside Dudley, seized the end of his swollen tongue, and attempted to wrench it out of his mouth; unsurprisingly, Dudley yelled and sputtered worse than ever, trying to fight her off. Uncle Vernon was bellowing and waving his arms around, and Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard.

"Not to worry, I can sort him out!" he yelled, advancing on Dudley with his wand outstretched, but Aunt Petunia screamed worse than ever and threw herself on top of Dudley, shielding him from Mr. Weasley.

"No, really!" said Mr. Weasley desperately. "It's a simple process it was the toffee - my son Fred - real practical joker - but it's only an Engorgement Charm - at least, I think it is - please, I can correct it -"

But far from being reassured, the Dursleys became more panic- stricken; Petunia was sobbing hysterically, tugging Dudley's tongue as though determined to rip it out; Dudley appeared to be suffocating under the combined pressure of his mother and his tongue; and Vernon, who had lost control completely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley, who ducked, causing the ornament to shatter in the blasted fireplace.

"Now really!" said Mr. Weasley angrily, brandishing his wand. "I'm trying to help!"

Bellowing like a wounded hippo, Vernon snatched up another ornament.

"Evangeline, go! Just go!" Mr. Weasley shouted his wand on Vernon. "I'll sort this out!"

Evangeline didn't want to miss the fun; in fact she had a huge smile on her face. But Vernon's second ornament narrowly missed her left ear, and thought it was best to leave Mr. Weasley to handle the situation. She stepped into the fire and said "the Burrow!"  
Her last glimpse was Dudley's tongue being to slither like a python. A warm feeling take over as the Dursleys' living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green flames.


End file.
